Dive Brief:
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Nordstrom recently added underwear brand Harper Wilde to its assortment, marking the first national retail partnership for the direct-to-consumer brand, according to information emailed to Retail Dive.
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The brand will be available on Nordstrom's website as well as five stores in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Dallas and Tigard, Oregon.
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Within the select stores, Harper Wilde "Bra Bins" will be available as part of its Recycle, Bra program for consumers to drop off their old bras to be recycled into new textiles.
Dive Insight:
As the limitations of selling goods exclusively online become increasingly apparent, more DTC brands are pushing into physical retail through permanent storefronts, pop-up shops or partnerships with traditional retailers.
Harper Wilde said entering into this partnership with Nordstrom will allow its customers to touch and feel its products before making a purchase. Other brands, like Harry's, Grove Collaborative and Care/of have landed in mass merchants like Walmart and Target in recent years, allowing the brands to reach a broader audience.
For Nordstrom, partnerships like the one with Harper Wilde allow it to bring fresh brands in, which helps the 120-year-old department store remain relevant with consumers, especially those in younger cohorts.
Offering the products in just five stores will likely help generate a sense of scarcity and drive deeper interest in the launch. Glossier and Nordstrom took a similar approach in 2019 when the DTC beauty brand launched into perfume, offering the product at just seven of the department store's locations.
Over the years, Nordstrom has indicated its growing interest in direct-to-consumer brands, including making a $16.4 million minority investment into menswear brand Bonobos in 2012. Since then, the department store has inked deals with Away, Thinx, Everlane and Kim Kardashian West's shapewear brand Skims.
